Book 13: The Book Of Fasting
Overview
The Book of Fasting in Sahih Muslim provides a meticulous, legalistic framework for the Islamic practice of fasting (Saum). It establishes the lunar calendar as the absolute metric for initiating and concluding the Ramadan fast, relying on physical sightings of the new moon or a thirty-day calculation if obscured by clouds. The text delineates strict boundaries for the daily fast, defining its start by the visual distinction of the 'true dawn' (represented by horizontal light, contrasting with the false vertical dawn) and its end at sunset. It addresses numerous practical scenarios, including exemptions for travelers, the permissibility of physical intimacy (kissing/embracing) for those who can control their desires, and the validity of the fast for one who wakes up in a state of major ritual impurity (junub). Theologically, the text frames fasting as a highly meritorious work that directly expiates sin and earns divine favor. It introduces the concept of 'Kaffarah' (expiation), where intentional violations of the fast (such as sexual intercourse) incur a heavy debt that must be paid through specific works: freeing a slave, fasting for two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people. The text also highlights the syncretic development of Islamic rituals, noting that the fast of 'Ashura was originally adopted from the Jewish commemoration of Moses' deliverance, made obligatory, and later relegated to a voluntary status once Ramadan was instituted. Furthermore, the text elevates Muhammad to a unique status, granting him exemptions from rules (such as the prohibition of uninterrupted fasting) based on his claim of direct, physical sustenance from Allah. Ultimately, the text cultivates a works-righteousness paradigm where spiritual success is measured by rigorous physical discipline, precise timing, and the accumulation of merit.
Key Figures
- Muhammad (The Messenger of Allah): The supreme lawgiver and exemplar whose actions, commands, and physical gestures establish binding religious law. He is depicted as having unique spiritual privileges, such as the ability to fast uninterruptedly because Allah feeds him.
- Allah: The divine authority who mandates the fast, receives it exclusively, and dispenses rewards and mercy (opening the gates of Paradise, locking Hell).
- Moses: Historical prophet cited to justify the fast of 'Ashura; Muhammad claims a closer connection to Moses than the Jews do.
- David: Biblical king cited as the ultimate exemplar of voluntary fasting (fasting on alternate days).
- Abu Huraira, 'A'isha, Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, Anas b. Malik, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: Key companions and wives of Muhammad who serve as the authoritative transmitters of his words and actions.
- Bilal and Ibn Umm Maktum: The two Mu'adhdhins (callers to prayer) whose calls distinguished the time to eat the pre-dawn meal from the time to begin the fast.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Meritorious Expiation (Works-Righteousness)
Assertion
Fasting is a physical work that directly expiates sins, removes a person from Hell, and earns entry into a specific gate of Paradise.
Evidence from Text
He who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years' distance... fasting on the day of 'Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years.
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, fasting operates as a transactional currency. Specific fasts yield specific amounts of forgiveness (e.g., the Day of 'Arafa covers two years of sin, 'Ashura covers one year). Furthermore, fasting earns the believer a literal distance from Hell and exclusive access to Paradise through the 'Rayyan' gate. This establishes a system of works-righteousness where human effort and physical endurance are the mechanisms of atonement. Evangelical Christianity fundamentally rejects this premise. According to Hebrews 10:11-14, human works and repeated sacrifices can never take away sins; only the 'once for all' sacrifice of Jesus Christ is sufficient. Justification is a forensic declaration by God based on faith alone (Sola Fide), not a wage earned through physical discipline (Romans 4:4-5). While fasting is a biblical practice, it is meant to humble the soul and focus the believer on God, not to purchase forgiveness or earn heavenly real estate.
Transactional Penalty for Sin (Kaffarah)
Assertion
Intentional violation of God's law (breaking the fast) creates a debt that must be paid off through specific, quantified human works.
Evidence from Text
He (the Holy Prophet) said: Can you find a slave to set him free? He said: No. He (the Prophet again) said: Can you observe fast for two consecutive months? He said: No. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Can you provide food to sixty poor people?
Evangelical Comparison
The Islamic concept of Kaffarah (expiation) treats sin as a quantifiable debt. When a man breaks his fast by having intercourse with his wife, Muhammad gives him a tiered list of works to perform to pay off the sin: freeing a slave, fasting 60 days, or feeding 60 people. When the man is too poor to do any of these, Muhammad gives him dates to give in charity, and eventually lets him eat them himself. The underlying theology is that human actions can balance the scales of divine justice. Evangelical theology, rooted in Sola Gratia and Solus Christus, asserts that humans are spiritually bankrupt and incapable of paying off their sin debt (Ephesians 2:1-3). No amount of fasting, feeding the poor, or freeing slaves can satisfy the infinite justice of God (Isaiah 64:6). The debt of sin was paid entirely by Christ on the cross (Colossians 2:13-14). The Islamic system places the burden of atonement squarely on the sinner's ability to perform.
Prophetic Exclusivity and Exemption
Assertion
Muhammad possesses a unique spiritual and physical status that exempts him from the rules he imposes on his followers.
Evidence from Text
Ibn 'Umar said that the Messenger of Allah forbade uninterrupted fasting. They said: You yourself fast uninterruptedly, whereupon he said: I am not like you. I am fed and supplied drink (by Allah).
Evangelical Comparison
The text repeatedly highlights Muhammad's exceptionalism. He forbids his followers from 'Saum Wisal' (fasting continuously day and night without breaking it), yet he does it himself. When questioned, he claims, 'I am not like you,' asserting that Allah miraculously feeds him. Similarly, when questioned about fasting while in a state of ritual impurity, he is told, 'Allah has pardoned all your sins, the previous ones and the later ones.' This creates a paradigm where the lawgiver is above the law. In contrast, Evangelical Christology emphasizes that Jesus, though fully God, 'was made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law' (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus did not exempt Himself from the righteous requirements of God; He fulfilled them perfectly on our behalf. Furthermore, biblical leaders (like Peter or Paul) never claimed exemption from the moral or spiritual disciplines they taught the church. Muhammad's exemptions highlight a theology of privilege rather than a theology of substitutionary fulfillment.
Proxy Atonement via Human Works
Assertion
A living person can perform physical works (fasting) to pay off the spiritual debts of a deceased person.
Evidence from Text
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah and said: My mother has died, and fasts of a month are due from her... He said: The debt of Allah deserves its payment more than (the payment of anyone else).
Evangelical Comparison
The Hadith explicitly permits and encourages believers to fast on behalf of deceased relatives who died with 'missed' fasts. Muhammad equates this to paying off a financial debt, stating that 'the debt of Allah deserves more that it should be paid.' This establishes a theology where grace is transferable through the physical works of surviving relatives. Evangelical Christianity strictly denies proxy works for the dead. Hebrews 9:27 states, 'It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.' A person's eternal state is fixed at death based on their relationship with Christ, and no amount of fasting, praying, or proxy rituals by the living can alter their standing or pay their 'debts' to God. This Islamic doctrine shares similarities with Mormon proxy ordinances and Catholic purgatorial indulgences, all of which violate the sufficiency of Christ's atonement and the necessity of personal faith.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
Islam operates on a works-righteousness paradigm where sin is a debt paid by human effort (fasting, charity), whereas Evangelicalism operates on a grace paradigm where sin is a moral crime paid solely by the substitutionary death of Christ.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap between this text and Evangelical Christianity lies in Soteriology and Hamartiology (the doctrines of salvation and sin). In Sahih Muslim, sin is viewed as a transactional deficit. When a man breaks his fast, he incurs a penalty. Muhammad prescribes a literal, mathematical formula for expiation (Kaffarah): free one slave, fast sixty days, or feed sixty people. Furthermore, the text asserts that fasting itself earns forgiveness, removes a person from Hell by 'seventy years distance,' and secures entry into Paradise. This is a pure works-righteousness system where human merit satisfies divine justice. Evangelical Christianity categorically rejects this. The Bible teaches that God's standard is absolute perfection (Matthew 5:48), and human works are tainted by sin (Isaiah 64:6). Sin is not merely a debt that can be worked off; it is high treason against a holy God, requiring the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). The Evangelical pillar of Sola Fide (Faith Alone) asserts that justification is a free gift of God's grace, secured entirely by the penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross. To suggest that skipping meals or feeding the poor can pay for sin is to declare that Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21).
For All Ages
Imagine you broke a very expensive window. In Islam, God says, 'To pay for the window, you must skip lunch for 60 days, or buy 60 meals for poor people.' If you do the work, the debt is paid. But in Christianity, the window is so expensive that you could never pay for it, even if you worked your whole life. Instead, Jesus steps in and pays the entire bill with His own money. He just asks you to trust Him and thank Him. Islam says you must earn your forgiveness by doing hard things; Christianity says Jesus already did the hard thing, and gives you forgiveness as a free gift.
Friction Points
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
The text explicitly claims that physical works (fasting, feeding the poor) expiate sins and earn Paradise.
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
The text replaces the need for a divine Savior with a system of human self-atonement (Kaffarah) and proxy works for the dead.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
The text elevates the oral traditions, personal habits, and physical gestures of Muhammad to the level of infallible, binding divine law.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Fasting"
In This Text
A strict, legalistic abstention from food, drink, and sex from dawn to dusk, which inherently earns merit, expiates sin, and pays debts to Allah.
In Evangelicalism
A spiritual discipline of abstaining from food to humble oneself, seek God's face, and express grief or repentance, but which earns no salvific merit.
"Debt (to God)"
In This Text
A quantifiable obligation (like missed fasts) that can be paid off by the believer or by their relatives after they die.
In Evangelicalism
The moral guilt of sin that renders humanity spiritually bankrupt, which can only be canceled by God's grace through Christ.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Escaping the fire of Hell, having sins expiated, and entering Paradise (specifically through the gate of Rayyan).
How Attained: Through rigorous obedience to Islamic law, performing obligatory and voluntary fasts, and paying expiations for failures.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on the successful completion of works (e.g., 'If you fast this day, your sins are forgiven'). However, because one can never know if their works are accepted or sufficient, true assurance is elusive.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text is the antithesis of Sola Fide. Romans 4:4-5 states, 'Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.' This Hadith teaches that salvation is a wage earned by the work of fasting.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Fast when the new moon is sighted, and break the fast when the next new moon is sighted.
- Calculate thirty days for the month if the sky is cloudy and the moon cannot be seen.
- Eat the pre-dawn meal (Sahur) as there is blessing in it.
- Hasten to break the fast (Iftar) as soon as the sun sets.
- Do not observe uninterrupted fasting (Saum Wisal).
- Do not fast on the two days of Eid ('Id-ul-Fitr and 'Id-ul-Adha).
- Do not single out Friday for fasting unless it coincides with a regular fasting habit.
- Expiate intentionally broken fasts by freeing a slave, fasting 60 days, or feeding 60 poor people.
- Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan, specifically on the odd nights.
Implicit Obligations
- Strictly emulate the physical habits and timing of Muhammad.
- Control sexual desires and anger while fasting.
- Maintain community unity in the observance of the fast.
- Rely on the testimony of the community for sighting the moon.
Ritual Requirements
- Total abstinence from food, drink, and sexual intercourse from the true dawn until sunset.
- Perform i'tikaf (seclusion for devotion) in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan.
- Wash to remove major ritual impurity (junub) before performing prayers, though the fast remains valid if one wakes up in this state.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed that breaking the fast requires a heavy penalty, like fasting for 60 days. How can you ever have peace or assurance that you've done enough to pay off your sins against God?
- The Hadith mentions that Muhammad was given special exemptions, like fasting continuously, because Allah fed him. Why do you think the lawgiver was exempt from the laws he gave his followers?
- If a person can pay off their dead mother's missed fasts, does that mean our eternal destiny depends on how well our relatives perform rituals after we die?
- Muhammad said he forgot the exact date of Lailat-ul-Qadr. Does it concern you that such an important piece of revelation was lost to human forgetfulness?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Debt of Sin
Islam rightly recognizes that sin creates a debt to God. However, the Gospel reveals that the debt is too large for us to pay. Jesus Christ pays the debt in full on the cross, canceling the record of debt that stood against us.
Fasting as a Shield
Muslims look to their own actions (fasting) to shield them from Hell and God's wrath. The Bible teaches that God Himself, and the righteousness of Christ, is our true shield.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is placed on a treadmill of merit. Because sins incur specific debts (Kaffarah), the believer must constantly calculate if they have fasted enough, fed enough people, or caught the right odd night (Lailat-ul-Qadr) to ensure their salvation. This breeds deep uncertainty and fear of failure.
The intense focus on the exact physical mechanics of the fast (distinguishing thread colors, exact moon sightings, whether swallowing saliva or waking up junub breaks the fast) reduces spirituality to hyper-legalistic bodily monitoring, distracting from true heart transformation.
The fact that the most holy night (Lailat-ul-Qadr) is hidden, and even the Prophet forgot it, forces believers to exhaust themselves for 10 nights hoping they 'catch' the right one. God is portrayed as hiding His grace, requiring humans to guess and strive to find it.